Hapag-Lloyd does not currently see a major imbalance between container shipping supply and demand despite the industry’s large vessel orderbook, according to CEO Rolf Habben Jansen. Habben Jansen described the present market as “fairly tight,” pointing to the recent strength in short-term freight rates as an indication of current capacity conditions. “Despite a large order book, we do not see a big imbalance between supply and demand today. It is actually fairly tight, which explains why short-term rates are up so much,” he said. Trade imbalances increase capacity requirements Hapag-Lloyd is also seeing growing imbalances between dominant and weaker trade legs, increasing the amount of capacity and equipment required to support cargo growth. According to Habben Jansen, overall growth of around 15% over a three-year period could require approximately 25% more capacity because fleet requirements are driven by volumes on the dominant legs. “The imbalance is getting worse. That means the cost of empty boxes is going up,” he said. The development also makes container shipping more asset-intensive, as carriers need to expand their fleets faster than the overall growth in cargo flows. Hapag-Lloyd sees strong US demand On the Transpacific, Hapag-Lloyd continues to see strong demand into the United States. Habben Jansen said current conditions point to a relatively normal peak season, with volumes remaining strong before potentially easing around Golden Week. He also cautioned against interpreting recent market conditions as evidence of a structural change in container shipping. According to the Hapag-Lloyd CEO, the sector remains highly volatile, with profitability capable of shifting rapidly. Habben Jansen added that the seasonality observed this year has not been particularly unusual from his perspective. The post Hapag-Lloyd sees tight container shipping market despite large orderbook appeared first on Container News .